Illustration created for this project.

Moses — the lawgiver

The prophet who led Israel out of slavery in Egypt, received the Law at Mount Sinai, and led the people forty years in the wilderness toward the Promised Land.

Role: Prophet · Lawgiver

Lived: c. 1391 BC – c. 1271 BC

Belonged to: Prophets, Tribe of Levi

Tribe/lineage: Levi

Born: Egypt

What we know — and how we know it

Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 4 Archaeology — physical evidence · 1 Ancient writers — non-biblical testimony · 1 Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 1

Origin & birthplace

BibleBorn in Egypt to a Levite family, hidden as an infant and drawn out of the Nile by Pharaoh's daughter.

Exodus 2:1–10

↳ Egypt

Family & lineage

BibleSon of Amram and Jochebed; younger brother of Aaron and Miriam.

Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59

↳ Aaron · Miriam

Tribe & people

BibleOf the tribe of Levi.

Exodus 2:1

Life, role & deeds

BibleCalled at the burning bush to lead Israel out of Egypt, and received the Law at Mount Sinai.

Exodus 3:1–10; Exodus 20

↳ Mount Sinai

𐰇𐱅𐰚𐰤 — CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons) ArchaeologyThe Egyptian Merneptah Stele (c. 1208 BC) is the earliest known mention of 'Israel' as a people in Canaan — evidence for Israel's presence in the era after the Exodus.

Merneptah (Israel) Stele, discovered by W.M. Flinders Petrie 1896 at Merneptah's mortuary temple, Thebes; Egyptian Museum, Cairo (JE 31408); ed. pr. Petrie, 'Six Temples at Thebes' (1897), 'Israel' line 27

Scan by NYPL — Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons) Ancient writersGreek and Egyptian writers — Manetho, Strabo and Diodorus — preserve varied, often garbled traditions of a lawgiver named Moses who led a people out of Egypt.

Manetho, Aegyptiaca (Osarseph episode) preserved in Josephus, Contra Apionem 1.26-31; Strabo, Geographica 16.2.35-37; Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica 40.3 (garbled/hostile traditions, relationship to the biblical Moses debated)

Death & legacy

ScholarlyThe date of the Exodus (13th vs 15th century BC) and Moses' historicity are debated among scholars.

Mainstream biblical scholarship

Where in scripture

Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy

Exodus 2:10 Exodus 3:10 Exodus 5:1 Exodus 7:1 Exodus 11:1 Exodus 12:1 Exodus 13:1 Exodus 14:21 Exodus 15:1 Exodus 20:1 Exodus 20:19 Exodus 25:1 Exodus 30:11 Exodus 31:1 Exodus 35:1 Exodus 36:2 Exodus 38:21 Exodus 38:22 Leviticus 1:1 Leviticus 4:1 Leviticus 5:14 Leviticus 6:1 Leviticus 7:22 Leviticus 9:1 …and 40 more mentions

Family

In their own words — 239 recorded sayings

“And he went out the day after and saw two of the Hebrews fighting: and he said to him who was in the wrong, Why are you fighting your brother?” — Exodus 2:13

“And he said, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? are you going to put me to death as you did the Egyptian? And Moses was in fear, and said, It is clear that the thing has come to light.” — Exodus 2:14

“And she gave birth to a son, to whom he gave the name Gershom: for he said, I have been living in a strange land.” — Exodus 2:22

“And Moses said, I will go and see this strange thing, why the tree is not burned up,” — Exodus 3:3

“And when the Lord saw him turning to one side to see, God said his name out of the tree, crying, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.” — Exodus 3:4

“And Moses said to God, Who am I to go to Pharaoh and take the children of Israel out of Egypt?” — Exodus 3:11

“And Moses said to God, When I come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you: and they say to me, What is his name? what am I to say to them?” — Exodus 3:13

“And Moses, answering, said, It is certain that they will not have faith in me or give ear to my voice; for they will say, You have not seen the Lord.” — Exodus 4:1

…and 231 more recorded sayings.

Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).